Tmn Magazine issue 4 by TMN Magazine

TMN

JANUARY ISSUE

TOPMEGANEWS.COM

ENTERTAINMENT | MUSIC | STYLE

EXCLUSIVE Interview with AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR

THE

AWARDS ISSUE VOL2

MARIAN L. THOMAS

BEST MALE IN POP t r m Lambe

Ada

INTRODUCING 'SPACE GIRL'

erez P n e m r a C

EXCLUSIVE

u o Y t u B g n i h t o N "MAY YOUR HEART BE HEALED"

NOTHING BUT YOU

TMN Magazine / January 2017

"MAY YOUR HEART BE HEALED"

EXCLUSIVE

TMN

exclusive

NTERVIEW with BEST AUTHOR OF THE YEAR MARIAN L.THOMAS

What's Inside? Feature Stories...

Editor's Note

TMN AWARDS 2016

BEST SONGS of 2016

TopMega5

Carmen Perez

New Music: J-HEN

ADAM Lambert

VÄ±ctoria Sport

ON THE COVER

Marian L. Thomas

www.topmeganews.com

INTRODUCING VICTORIA SPORT THE WORLD'S BEST SPORT BRAS

PAGE 40

TMN MAGAZINE/JANUARY 2017

Editor's Note Happy New Year! I could not be happier to unveil our first issue of 2017! Since our premier issue in October last year, many changes have taken place (have you noticed?) and much more are in store. We are working hard to ensure our content is well aligned with what you, our valued readers, want to see while continuing to bring you the latest on entertainment, music, and style. We are thrilled to announce that now you can have any issue of TMN mag printed up. (Shipping worldwide!) This month, we are featuring more winners in our very first TMN Best of Awards. And we'll share them with you on topmeganews.com this month too. How can we start the year off without talking about NEW MUSIC… We introducing you to our cover star from Nothing But You, Nicky and their new album ‘Meant To Be’, Beautiful Actress CARMEN PEREZ which is ‘Space Girl’ and J-Hen’s ‘On To The Next’ album out now and currently on its way to some chart success! We introduce you to our Best Author Of The Year - Marian L. Thomas and her new book ‘I Believe In Butterflies'. and much much more...

We hope that you’ll use this New Year as an opportunity to find what inspires you and to follow your dreams.

JeremiahF

Jeremiah Foster Editor-in-Chief

#TOPMEGA5 LIST OF ADAM'S BEST QUOTES

t r e b m a L m a d A PAGE 26

Sassy

Ellie Mendez is a college student studying media studies and production. Writer, spiritual researcher, healer, marketer. TWITTER: @TerraqdTeigvs

Lena Tregub is a reportage photographer from Kiev, Ukraine. Her interests has always been for photography, entertainment and music! Our TMN Team would personally like to thank Lena who has took the gorgeous photos of Adam Lambert. She can be contacted via social media and her portfolio can be viewed at www.vk.com/albums7873138 www.instagram.com/lenatregub

Mercede Mckibben My Interests: Paranormal, Rock n Roll, Stephen King, Movies. Basically just being me. Writer for TopMegaNews.com Creative Director at TMN Magazine Los Angeles, CA Follow me on Twitter @MistycmMckibben

Jeremiah Foster

Behind the scenes of AWARDS issue

So many ideas and such little time. Music lover from Ohio. Editor in Chief .

Leonora Beld Casually writing, listening to music, taking photos and supporting people I've never met.

Pabon Laurine Healthy lifestyle & fitness fanatic. Dog lover. Blogger. I live off of books. I'm a bit of a poet. France / New York. Twitter @PabonLaurineDsT

Who's who?

Teen Magazine

-CONNECT WITH US-

@TopMegaNewz

/TopMegaNews www.TopMegaNews.com

@TopMegaNews

For those who are here let the light in: #Respect CAK Production Phill and Nicky Emine SARI Wonder Hostels Peecho StoryAmp ISSUU FIVES Yolande' Denise HipStars Ent. Photographers:

ON THE COVER

Lena Tregub

Our favorite Nicky from

Stan Schneider

NOTHING BUT YOU

Rollence Patugan

Creative Director Mercede Mc topmeganews@hotmail.com @MistycmMckibben Editor-in-Chief / Managing Director Jeremiah Foster editor@topmeganews.com Music Editor Weaver Ellen @WeaverEllenEr04 Want to have your work in this magazine? You're only ever a few clicks away from joining our team of writers. Email editor@topmeganews.com to become part of our team. ADVERTISING To enquire about advertising and to request a media pack contact: info@topmeganews.com

All rights reserved. All material in TMN magazine may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of TopMegaNews. TMN Magazine and its contributors cannot accept any liability for reader discontent arising from the editorial features. TMN Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material supplied for publication or to edit this material prior to publishing. TMN magazine cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to supplied materials. We accept no liability for any misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the contents of these pages.

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TMN www . topmeganews . com info @ topmeganews . com

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR BOOK OF THE YEAR FAN BASE OF THE YEAR SINGLE OF THE YEAR BEST RED CARPET LOOK BEST BAND OF THE YEAR MAKEUP ARTIST OF THE YEAR

TMN AWARDS

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

Marian L. THOMAS

BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

TMN AWARDS

BEST BAND OF THE YEAR

FIVES

TMN AWARDS BEST SINGLE OF THE YEAR

"ON THE FLOOR"

TMN AWARDS

BEST FAN BASE

#Glamberts Adam Lambert

PHOTO: Lena Tregub

TMN AWARDS

BEST RED CARPET LOOK

Priyanka Chopra

Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP

TMN AWARDS

MAKEUP ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Yolande Denise

TMN AWARDS

SHOW OF THE YEAR

Victoria's Secret PARIS

TMN

BEST SONGS OF 2016 EDITORS CHOISE

DNCE - Cake By The Ocean Justin Timberlake - CAN'T STOP THE FEELING The Weeknd - Starboy Adele - Hello Rihanna - Love on the Brain Jon Bellion - All Time Low John Legend - Love Me Now The Chainsmokers - Closer Lady Gaga - Million Reasons Maroon 5 - Don't Wanna Know Bruno Mars - 24K Magic Nick Jonas - Close (feat. Tove Lo) Beyoncé - Formation Sia - The Greatest you, our dear readers, voted for ADELE Hello as your favorite song of 2016. Now, it’s our turn to reveal which SONGS we’ve loved the most. 21

TMN

#TopMega5

AWARDS

BEST NEW ARTISTs OF THE YEAR #5 Lukas Graham

#4 Chord Overstreet #3 Shawn Mendes #2 Cameron Nino

#1 Charlie Puth

TMN

#TopMega5

AWARDS

ARTIST OF THE YEAR ( R&B / SOUL / HIPHOP) #5 Alicia Keys #4 John Legend #3 Rihanna #2 Tamar Davis #1 The Weeknd

TMN Magazine | NEW MUSIC

ACTRESS CARMEN PEREZ IS ‘SPACE GIRL’

inger/songwriter and actress CARMEN

PEREZ just released her new music EP “Space Girl” January 5, 2017. The EP touches on Scandinavian pop while channeling Carmen’s PuertoRican rhythmic heritage. Carmen is a blend of a Latin Sade, Kylie Minogue, Gloria Estefan & Janet Jackson, yet she mimics no one. Photo: Stan Schneider

This EP follows Carmen Perez’s hits on Billboard’s Top 40 Hot Dance Club Play &

EP was produced by hit

Top 10 UK Commercial Pop Charts,

songwriter/producer Sigurd Røsnes (Cher,

“Emergency” & “Overload”, and Carmen’s UK chart topper, the Super Stylers remix of

Namie Amuro, Kumi Koda, BoA, Ace of

“Run Little Devil.” Also, on October 31st,

Base to name a few). Sigurd Røsnes scored

2016, a song Carmen co-composed,

a #1 with Cher on Billboard’s Hot Dance

“Pajarito”, was released to be included in the

Music Chart and #1 on Billboard’s Latin

popular chillout/lounge series, “Café Del

Chart with Luis Fonsi. He has also had #1

Mar – Dreams 9” album.

singles in Japan, Korea, France, and Holland. Carmen currently has a popular recurring role as Captain Vasquez on the Robert Rodriguez/Mark Burnett hit EmmyNominated TV series “Lucha Underground” on El Rey Network. She has over 60 acting credits and has exhibited and sold her paintings internationally. Carmen is proud to have served her country on active duty 24

in the U.S. Army for 6 years. carmenperez.net

TMN Magazine | INTRODUCING

INTRODUCING

z e r e P n Carme Carmen Perez is a modern-day ‘Renaissance Woman’ – A singer, songwriter, actress, painter, filmmaker and a U.S. Army Veteran. She was born in Bronx, New York and raised mostly in Puerto Rico. At 17 years old, she joined the U.S. Army active duty for six years. After being stationed overseas and in Washington, D.C., becoming a Sergeant by the age of 21, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and International Politics with a minor in Legal Studies at George Mason University, she moved to Hollywood to pursue her career in the arts. As a singer/songwriter, she has had hits on Billboard’s Top 40 Hot Dance Club Play & Top 10 UK Commercial Pop Charts, “Emergency” & “Overload”, and UK chart-topper, the Super Stylers remix of “Run Little Devil.” She also released an experimental album (Collective Fantasy) in 2014. A music piece “Pajarito,” that she co-wrote with Matt Powell is featured on the popular chillout/lounge series “Café Del Mar ~ Dreams 9” album, just released on October 31, 2016. Carmen has been working on her new music EP to be released January 2017. In June 2016, Carmen was invited by the MIDEM judges to attend their 50th-anniversary international music convention in Cannes, France, where she was personally greeted by Audrey Azoulay, the French Minister of Culture. Carmen also was selected to attend the prestigious and exclusive Herb Alpert Applied Music Program at a Los Angeles college where she was awarded the elite Non-classical Vocal Performer Certificate. Carmen currently has a popular recurring role as Captain Vasquez on the Robert Rodriguez/Mark Burnett hit Emmynominated TV series “Lucha Underground.” She has over 60 acting credits and was awarded Best Supporting Actress by the Valley Theatre League Artistic Director Achievement (ADA) Awards for the play “Soldiers Don’t Cry” in 2003. As a painter, Carmen has been acclaimed for using bold edges and vibrant colors and is continuously inspired by her experiences and world travels. She has exhibited her artwork in the Los Angeles area and sold artwork in both the United States & internationally, including art commissions.

TMN Magazine | NEW MUSIC

J-HEN ‘ON TO THE NEXT’ J-Hen’s latest single, ‘On To The Next’ was produced in Miami, FL at the infamous The Hit Factory Criteria Recording Studios. The single was written and produced by members of RichGang/Cash Money Record’s production team and features rapper Yng Rell from Danville, VA. The single ‘On To The Next’ embodies a relationship going left after a series of events take place leading up to a heartbroken free person. Similar to an anthem for the newly single, J-Hen may have given Beyonce a run for her money!

J-Hen is an R&B/Hip-Hop recording artist from the Dallas metroplex area. His passion for music first began at an early age. During his middle school years, he taught himself how to write his own songs and in less than a few months had formed a rap group with a couple of friends. Soon after this time he fused the concept of rapping with singing and began to write, produce, and record music! While still in high school he and his friends released their first LP which included tracks of J-Hen singing. It was after this LP that J-Hen decided to switch over to R&B and he has been writing and producing music ever since.

J-Hen grew up listening to such idols as Michael Jackson, Timbaland, Luther Vandross, and Marvin Gaye to name a few and has developed his own style that is very different with gripping vocals and shredding lyrics that are the heart and soul of his music. His songs are sensual and sassy and have a whole lot of soul.

HOT 26

The full album is out now and currently on its way to some chart success!

NEW SOUNDS

TOP NEWÂ ALBUMS

PICKS OF THE MONTH

New Songs, Albums And Singles To Love In January 2017. 2017 is here and with a new year comes plenty of new music. Artists including DRAKE, Big Sean and J-HEN have all dropped some huge new songs to kick off the year.

THE XX

J-HEN - ON TO THE NEXT

I SEE YOU

RUN THE JEWELS RTJ3

DRAKE

CARMEN PEREZ - SPACE GIRL

MORE LIFE

BIG SEAN MOVES

PIA MIA WE SHOULD BE TOGETHER

TINIE TEMPAH Youth

NOTHING BUT YOU - MEANT TO BE

WE'RE ON THE LOOKOUT

FOR A NEW CONTRIBUTORS

www.topmeganews. com

TO OUR AWESOME TEAM

EMAIL US! send your resume editor@topmeganews.com

#TrainLikeAnAngel

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AS VOTED BY YOU!

THE BEST MALE IN POP 2016

Photos by Lena Tregub

t r e b m a Adam L

A MULTI-OCTAVE VOCAL RANGE AND A WELLDEVELOPED SENSE OF THEATRICALITY ARE JUST TWO OF THE TALENTS THAT HAVE HELPED ADAM LAMBERT TRANSFORM FROM ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ RUNNER-UP TO INTERNATIONAL RECORDING STAR.

CLEARLY ADAM LAMBERT IS NOT SLOWING DOWN ANYTIME SOON, AND WE HOPE TO SEE MUCH MORE FROM HIM! THANKS FOR VOTING, AND CONGRATULATIONS #GLAMBERTS! IN HONOR OF HIS WINNING, WE HERE AT TMN HAVE PUT TOGETHER A #TOPMEGA5 LIST OF ADAM'S BEST QUOTES! ENJOY...

photo:: Lena Tregub

“NOWADAYS IN POP, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MEN THAT ARE SINGING BIG AND LOUD AND HIGH - IT'S NOT AS COMMON AS IT ONCE WAS.” b gu e r T na e L to: o ph

“IF SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, THROW SOME GLITTER ON IT.”

ph ot o: L en a Tr eg ub

“I WANT THE FOCUS TO BE ON MY ABILITY AS A SINGER AND AS AN ENTERTAINER - NOT ON MY PRIVATE LIFE.” ub reg T a n : Le o t o ph

“IF SEXY SCARES YOU, DON'T LISTEN TO MY MUSIC.”

“I'M PROUD OF MY SEXUALITY. I EMBRACE IT. IT'S JUST ANOTHER PART OF ME.”

TMNMAG CURRENT ISSUES OF TMN MAGAZINE ARE AVAILABLE DIGITALLY ON ISSUU.COM

ISSUU.COM/TMNMAG

ON THE COVER

NOTHING BUT YOU

Album Review

"MEANT TO BE" While it’s easy for me to admit that show-tunes, lounge, dramatic & theatrical performances generally aren’t something that connect with me – it’s also easy for me to admit that I was all smiles while listening to the sincerity and genuine passion in the music from San Franciscobased project Nothing But You. I had points throughout listening to the new record Meant To Be and the covers of classic tunes that I’d normally never listen to, where I had to stop everything I was doing to just sit, listen and admire these performers for creating something entirely beautiful to listen to & experience.

by Jeremy Gladstone

With an announcement of the project’s name in a quick intro repeating ‘Nothing But You’ hypnotically from the lefts & rights of the speakers on “Let’s Get Started” – it sets the tone of the atmospheres to follow and presents a sincerity of emotion right off the bat. You can hear even in the short opening intro to Meant To Be that the commitment to giving their hearts to this record has already been established…and over the course of the eleven songs to follow, all involved do a fantastic job of bringing these ideas to life. I can tell you with certainty that what you’ll hear convincingly sounds like love, peace, harmony & unity all definitely in the air. You get the slightest hint of what Nothing But You’s centerpiece & feature-star Nicky will bring to the mic…she’s in a near whisper here on “Let’s Get Started” compared to some of the powerful notes she’ll hit throughout this album. In addition, you also get the stunning talents of pianist Shota Osabe and gorgeous piano tones right away in this first tune – and going on to put resounding emotion on display even further through the beautiful solo on “Lost Without Your Love” to follow.

ithout being intensely familiar with every song title on the list, the fact that many of these were classic-theatricals, Broadway melodies and show-tunes of sorts was lost on me at first. As “Lost Without Your Love” began, I was unsure if Nicky was over-singing the song…there are moments where the dramatic delivery sounds so committed to performance that it almost came out over the top; but eventually, the tone and approach of what she brings to her soulful sound makes much more sense as the playlist continues on and Meant To Be sticks cohesively to its ambitions, sentiment & ideas. The earlier tunes like “Lost Without Your Love” and “Misty” both had moments where I was questioning the performances at moments until I realized that the theatrical-side of Nothing But You’s music is a part of the recipe to their own signature magic…and gradually, I accepted these songs more and more.

I still think there are a few questionable moments in “Lost Without Your Love” and in “Misty” as well as far as Nicky’s vocals are concerned…but nothing off-putting, just stylistic choices that you may/may-not accept on those first listens through. Sometimes the break in her voice is the perfect addition…at others it’s right on the fence for its tone on “Lost Without Your Love” – but with the beauty in Shota’s piano backing her up…really everything we hear becomes acceptable to our ears. That dramatic and theatrical approach that Nicky uses is built into the fabric of the writing in these cover songs… and in that sense, she’s doing these first two songs tremendous justice with confident and committed performances. Progressively, I felt like “Misty” already began to show an improvement on what we heard from her in the first two songs as she begins to let her voice truly soar & highlight the impressive range of her vocals – but it was after this point on the record that I thought this project really started to shine even more. 46

“My Foolish Heart” was where things started to change for me…where I really started to appreciate the sincerity in the music of Nothing But You on their Tony Bennett cover. I think it’s also the last song where you might question Nicky’s choices; I could understand some people thinking she’s right at the edge of her tone & range to hit the high-parts…but from what I’ve gathered throughout her performances on these tunes, she’s putting in a determined effort to let the art of the writing shine through her mood, attitude and tone. So while it could be argued from a technical standpoint at times that it still sounds a little raw – I think what we trade for rounded, polished edges here on “My Foolish Heart” help bring out the honest sincerity of the intentions behind the writing of this cover tune. That’s always a deal I’m willing to make…and I think you get a lot of Nicky’s genuine emotion through the way she approaches her vocals here.

Switching it up to sweetened tones of guitar from Jerry Stucker for the emotional melody of Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” – this was another highlight for me; and another tune that had shown me how much I’ve come to accept the dramatic & theatrical, artistic approach that Nicky brings to the vocals. It’s almost similar to acting in the way she delivers the material – but the sincere connection she has to the songs and the passion she brings to her performances makes it all more real than mere acting. You can tell Nicky both loves & lives this material, and was born with a song to sing & share with the world. “A Song For You” showcases an artist that’s right in the moment…committed to the song & really making it her own. I felt much the same about Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself” and Nothing But You’s cover version; a great performance from Nicky leads the way to captivating moments that capture the essence of the emotion – and a real highlight for Shota’s piano-playing. As the song progresses, you really get to hear Shota putting fantastic emotion & expression in the music, increasingly right up to its very end.

Album Review

Shota’s piano-playing has been spot-on throughout everything I’ve heard so far and has been incredibly reliable for Nicky, who inturn as a result really gets to explore entertainment, performance, character & attitude within these songs they play together. “New York State Of Mind” is a fantastic example of this project at its best with bold confident tones and beautiful notes twinkling from the piano while Nicky puts a highlight display of some of her most powerful vocals we’ve heard so far on the record. Quite often that can be a result of knowing the material inside & out…could be a cover that she knows really, really well – but I think you also hear the quality of her performances rise again right around here on the album.

She hits the mark with real grace and power on “New York State Of Mind” and with a perfect mix of soulful & sweet on “Cry Me A River” right after – Nicky has raised-up the standards in the middle of this album and really become a force of expression to be reckoned with in these songs back-to-back. Another exceptional job of creating a beautiful combination of art & music combined – “Cry Me A River” is a massive highlight on Meant To Be and certainly a worthy cover version with its own validity.

It is definitely chilled-out music overall…the tempo itself always stays very low-key and moves slowly, gently and tenderly. “Feel Like Making Love” is another great example of their use of space & pacing…excellent keyboards lead the melody and a versatile performance from Nicky on the microphone. Proving they’re every bit as effective in expressing themselves at their most relaxing…”Feel Like Making Love” succeeds with its warm, invitational tones and love-filled sentiment. If anything… while the similar energy you’ll find throughout the album is certainly cohesive, it’s so relaxing and dreamy at times, that were it not for the dramatic nature and character in Nicky’s vocals they’d risk potentially losing people by almost relaxing their mind, body & soul too much by this point in the record. But – again, for people looking for an atmosphere, mood and set of songs that really explore that kind of soft, smooth & gentle terrain in music, you’ll appreciate that Nothing But You won’t break that energy or take you outside of the sweet confines of the tender styles throughout their song set. “The Very Thought Of You” has a unique music-box style sound to its opening which I liked a lot…I also liked the return of the classic piano sounds from Shota…good ol’ reliable Shota deserves a lot of credit for the stunning atmospheres we’ve been hearing, and sounds excellent once again here on this tune. At times I really thought Nicky’s vocals really found the rise & fall of the music and had perfect energy to match…and there were a few spots in here where I felt like a little less emphasis on ‘performance’ and more focus on the melody itself might lead to better results. Again, it’s all stylistic choices and carries the signature expressive-essence of Nothing But You and how Nicky chooses to sound or sing her parts; for some it’ll work wonderfully…others might be looking for a slightly more scaled-back approach here. But that’s not really what Nicky is all about…she’s all confidence, heart and raw passion on display; especially parts like around 3:45 on “The Very Thought Of You” – when she hits those rising tones, it lifts everything else up surrounding it and accentuates the melody in really empowering & uplifting ways. Excellent piano solo from in the mid-section of this track as 48

well…another highlight worth the mention.

It felt like the album was drawing to close with the opening piano tones of “As Time Goes By,” and as the record’s second to last tune…I suppose that it’s only natural that they hint it’s almost time to draw the curtain. Excellent intricate parts in Shota’s piano playing here on this track…many bold & confident tones from Nicky as they begin to send us into dreamland towards the end of the album. A big finish from Nicky brings this one to a final conclusion…and then they truly do send you towards the sandman with the final song “Dream.”

And I mean that in the best of ways – “Dream” would arguably be my favorite song on the entire album for me personally. Everything about this final track seemed to really snap into place perfectly and the overall sound is entirely inspiring. Nicky sounds at her most magical…Shota Osabe the ever-reliable pianist displays a mastery of creativity, subtly & complexity all at the same time; and together, they’ve made a beautiful finale for this album that is highly memorable and sincerely impressive. Something about this last track really brought back the themes in the sentiment and intentions that drive this sweet project to make its music and share it with the world…and I absolutely loved that it ended this way. A great reminder of the amount of heart & soul that they put into their music along the way, and a true highlight of what Nothing But You sounds like at their most focused – I think they ended Meant To Be on its sweetest of notes with “Dream” and finished the listening experience with true grace, beauty & style.

NOW AVAILABLE: PRINT ON DEMAND! (SHIPPING WORLDWIDE) TOPMEGANEWS.COM/MAGAZINE/PRINT

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NOTHING BUT YOU Nothing But You is a unique San Francisco bay area artistic endeavor blending ambient coloring with a lounge flavor. This creates the perfect setting for Nicky's sensual and soulful voice. Along with Phill the duo creates a beautiful sound collage of Rock, Soul, and Jazz. Singer Nicky took some time to give an exclusive interview about her incredible life and future plans.

BY JEREMIAH FOSTER “MEANT TO BE” First of all, congratulations on the new album “Meant To Be”. Thank you very much!!^^ What were the inspirations for the album? After the age of 50, I made up my mind not to listen to my friends in Japan complaining about the emptiness and sadness of life. I said, “ Life starts at 50. I will prove that nothing is impossible!” That’s because I challenged a lot of famous auditions since I had no idea how to promote myself. The famous TV show such as The Voice and America’s Got Talent’s audition judges told me “You are going to be a great singer but it does not match the theme of the TV show on this point.” At age 54, On February 9, 2016, during her “The Voice” audition in Chicago to get a chance of becoming a Diva, I received an email from my junior high school friend in Japan about their upcoming reunion. And just by chance, my friend mentioned Phill, my childhood crush when I was in Junior high school. 40 years passed and the friend's mail, just be the chance, got me and Phill reconnected again. Phill had become a genius artist with a great sense of music, art, hair & makeup and fashion who would be able to make me world famous Diva as my producer. Phill and I - powerful collaboration was started forming the music unit “Nothing But You” I had been singing for 30years just like Whitney Houston but Phill told me you have your own beautiful voice not a copy of anybody else....”Stay out shouting and sing it from your heart with your own voice”. Phill does not play any instruments but he knows about any kinds of music because he had been listening all kind of music with the eyes and ears of his heart. I went to Karaoke studio and sing followed his advice then let him listen my recorded sound.....that’s how we created our own music world. I live in San Francisco and he lives in Tokyo but we had no problem creating our own music world using SNS tools. My dream and his dream from childhood became true because of our Reunion. We thought our Reunion was Meant to Be!! So I asked my friend, Shota Osabe(Pianist) and Jerry Stucker(Guitarist) to help to make our first CD "Meant to Be" together. Phill and I wanted to send some messages to the world of “Love! Never Give up! Keep Dreaming!” due to healing people’s heart.

TMN MAGAZINE |

Could you tell us about the recording process? How long did the full album process take you? My friend Pianist Shota Osabe has his own recording studio in San Francisco called “Sho Studio of Music” so adjusting to his convenience it took about 2 months. A guitarist Jerry Stucker played “A song for you” for me and he gave me advice on my English pronunciation for songs. Phill told me “Just enjoy the recording with great musician singing our designed of the sound collage of Rock, Soul, and Jazz.” Phill selected all songs and organize the order of songs, asked Shota Osabe to compose “Let’s get started” using our voice saying "Nothing But You" and advised to put sound effect in between the songs. Credit for this CD "Meant to Be" Produced by Phill, Directed by Shota Osabe, Co-Directed by Jerry Stucker, Vocal Nicky How are you feeling about the album release? I am very happy and appreciate all the people I met in my life including my family, ancestors, Buddha and God! What was the first song you guys came up with? When we were searching and creating our designed of music,” Lost without your Love” is the one to become our basic emotional expression. Were there any specific musicians who had a lot of influence on the record? Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald Did you guys have a song that you listened to throughout recording the album? Leon Russell, Eric Carmen, and Carol King....We are listening to a singer songwriter’s songs. Also Sarah Vaughan’s songs Could you sum up “Meant To Be” in 5 words to give fans an idea of what to expect? May your heart be healed!

JANUARY 2017

TMN MAGAZINE

INTERVIEW

CAREER What motivates you in your career? Make people happy! Ever thought in your career to give up music? Receptionist at Dental Office in Japan. 10 years Gift Bussiness manager between US and Japan in USA. 10 years Japanese Restaurant & Karaoke lounge(300 people capacity) manager in USA. 7 years Having my live Show sometimes for 30 years in Japan & USA. I worked so hard and at the same time I enjoyed my music so I did not need to give up my music career. What’s been one of your biggest lessons so far in your life? Where there is will, there is way. What are all of the countries that you’ve been to so far in your life? What are your favorite cities? Japan, USA, France, Italy, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Kyoto,Tokyo & Marumori(our hometown) in Japan, Rome, All of Tuscany & Amalfy in Italy, Nice& Paris in France, The Island of Maui If you could perform with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Whitney Houston Do you have any kind of management, publishing or distribution team behind you? NO! I learned how to do the music marketing from my musician friend who has his music production. According to the information I studied by myself and spendinding my own expense and I am doing all work by myself so far. What would your one piece of advice for aspiring young singers/artists be?

PLEASE DO NOT PUSH YOURSELF TO THE LIMITS TO DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO . DO YOUR BEST!! JUST DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK (MEANING BE RESPONSIBLE IN YOUR LIFE) What is the goal for 2017? Do you have any other projects lined up beside your album? I would like to do Nothing But You Live Show in US and Japan at least. If we can find our sponsor, we would like to make more albums that remain in this World even after we die.

THE VOICE: Why(how) did you decide to join THE VOICE? After the age of 50, I made up my mind not to listen to my friends in Japan complaining about the emptiness and sadness of life. I said, “ Life starts at 50. I will prove that nothing is impossible!” That’s because I challenged a lot of Famous auditions since I had no idea how to promote myself. I thought famous TV show such as The Voice and America’s Got Talent’s audition are the shortcut to prove my decision to make people happy. I worried about my age, singing skills, and my limited English… .but did it anyway instead than regret it without doing it. One of the most interesting parts of the show is that pretty much everybody in the blind auditions is really talented, but of course, not everybody is chosen. Did it ever occur to you when you got up onstage that for whatever reason, none of the judges would be interested? I imagine it must have been pretty scary. Did you ever get stage fright? I always get stage fright but once start to sing I am always in my music World.

"HAVING A DREAM MAKES LIFE BRIGHT... SO KEEP DREAMING!"

What’s the greatest lesson the show taught you? Even if I pass the audition and had a chance to become a singer, I have to sing as producer’s request. In that sense, I appreciate I could a reunion with Phill and keep singing our designed of music to the world. I realized that life was meant to be. Please send a message to your fans all over the world! I believe people need a dream. No one can stop it. We know life is a series of choices. But someday, we realize that…. life was meant to be. Having a dream makes life bright….. So keep dreaming!

Q&A #TopMega5 What can't you live without? Love, respect, and appreciation What are you most proud of? Never give up spirit Do you have a secret hobby? Photo Shooting Who are you listening to right now? Sarah Vaughan .......and “Meant to Be” lol^^ 3 things you like/ 3 things you dislike… Singing, Love, Peace(Like) War, Give up, Disrespect (Dislike)

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TRENDS

TOP 5 BEST MUSIC VIDEOS OF THE MONTH 2017 is set to be a fresh new year with countless new music for us all! Let's kick it off with the latest new entries. Artists including The Weeknd, Beyonce, Britney Spears, SHAKIRA and MALUMA have blessed our eyes and ears with their latest music videos!… November was a fertile time for great music videos. Here are 5 of the best.

LITTLE MIXTOUCH

SEAN PAUL NO LIE FT. DUA LIPA

by Weaver Ellen

TOPMEGA 5’S 3

BEBE REXHA I GOT YOU

ED SHEERAN CASTLE ON THE HILL

GRYFFIN, BIPOLAR SUNSHINE WHOLE HEART

"Music can change the world because it can change people." Bono ♫ ♬

TOPMEGANEWS . COM

MARIAN L. THOMAS " s ie l f r e t t u B n "I Believe I NEW BOOK POISED TO SPARK FRESH DEBATE ON CELEBRITIES' VIEWS ON ONE DROP RULE

A new book written by Award Winning Author, Marian Thomas, will no doubt spark fresh debates on the one drop rule when it launches on May 21.

The book, I Believe In Butterflies, is a fictional story that follows three women as they navigate life’s often rocky terrain in search of hope, courage, and love. One of the main characters, Lorraine—has lived twenty-three years believing that she is a white woman. When she discovers that her long-held belief is nothing more than a fallacy, all she has held dear is shattered. "At the heart of Lorraine's story, lies the foundation of what the one drop rule represents—social classification," Thomas stated. The one-drop rule is a historical term for the social classification of individuals with black ancestry. It dates back to 1624 but was coded into law in 1924. Some celebrities including Halle Berry accept the one drop rule. The actress cited the one drop rule, when the question arose about whether her daughter with her ex-partner, Gabriel Aubry (French-Canadian) was white or black. In an interview with Ebony magazine, Berry stated, "I feel she's black. I'm black and I'm her mother, and I believe in the one-drop theory." 59

"I Believe In Butterflies" Three women. One mission. An unparalleled journey for redemption. Born to a white mother and a black father, outgoing president, Barack Obama, fully identifies himself as black. When asked to declare his race on a 2010 census questionnaire, Mr. Obama checked the box for African American although he could have checked white or black and white. There are celebrities, however, that take a firm stand on the rejection of the one-drop rule. So whether they are for it or against it, I Believe In Butterflies just might give the one drop rule new life, or at the most, create a platform for discussion on the topic.

I Believe in Butterflies is the second book that Thomas has written that broaches the issue of race. The other being- Blue Butterfly. She said: "People ask me why I use butterflies in some of my book titles. My books are written for women, and as women, we go through the caterpillars of life that transform us into something beautiful." I Believe In Butterflies will be available in paperback formats on online retail sites including amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. The pre-order date is set for February 19, 2017. For further details, visit: www.ibelieveinbutterfliesbook.com 53

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, MARIAN L. THOMAS, HAS FIVE ENGAGING AND DRAMATIC NOVELS TO HER CREDIT. SHE HAS BEEN FEATURED IN PRINT MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS AND A GUEST ON LOCAL, NATIONAL AND ONLINE RADIO STATIONS.

I Believe In Butterflies will be available in paperback formats on online retail sites including amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. The pre-order date is set for February 19, 2017. www.marianlthomas.com

TMN Magazine / January 2017

INTERVIEW

MARIAN L. THOMAS ‘I Believe In Butterflies’ is your latest book release; for those who don’t know, can you tell us a little more about it? It’s an unparalleled story that follows three women as they navigate life’s often rocky terrain in search of hope, courage, and love. Emma Lee Baker is a seventy-six-year-old woman from Barrow County, Georgia. She’s a straight-shooting woman who believes in speaking her mind and has lived a seemingly ordinary life near the banks of Thomas Bay. However, when Emma makes a shocking discovery, her ordinary life turns into something altogether extraordinary. Emma has one daughter- Honour Blue Baker. Their relationship is more like burnt toast and year-old jam. Honour Blue Baker’s greatest fears are centered around two things: her past and the idea of falling in love. Those fears come full circle when she returns to Barrow County to visit her mother. Her journey home turns into a journey of a lifetime. Honour is my favorite character in I Believe In Butterflies. She’s strong, yet, has a gentleness that makes your heart understand her seemingly tragic tribulations. Lorraine has spent twenty-three years believing in three things: love, butterflies, and the fact that she’s a white woman. However, the day comes when all that she’s held dear is shattered, after discovering that her close-to-heart beliefs are nothing more than fallacies. Have you always wanted to be a writer? (And was there a particular moment you thought, ‘I can do this!’?) I have always enjoyed writing. The idea of becoming an author was something that I resisted at first, even after my first book, Color Me Jazzmyne was published in 2009. Being an author brought about responsibilities that I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Readers now wanted more of me and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that type of exposure. I felt like running away from it. It wasn’t a matter of not being able to do it, it was more a matter of—do I want to put a part of me, out there. That’s what it’s like to write a book. It’s putting a small piece of yourself out there for the world to either love or hate. Talk to us about your writing routine; what’s a typical writing day for you? Long evening while my hubby is off in sleep Ville. That’s typically my routine. I tend to write the foundation of my books in one month, and then I spend the rest of the following months, trying to put up the walls, the paint and all the other details that make a book, a book. It’s a crazy process. It drives me nuts, but, it’s a process that I have come to embrace.

What do you enjoy most about your work? I absolutely adore when a reader enjoys my book. It’s like a pinch of satisfaction on a job well done. Of course, there will always be those that didn’t. It comes with the territory and I have learned to embrace them. I have found that just because a reader didn’t like one of your books, doesn’t mean they will never enjoy one. You just have to learn how to capture their heart, if possible. Sometimes, this happens. Sometimes, it doesn’t. It should make you a better writer.

What inspires you to write? Everything. It could be a movie. It could be a flower. It could even be a conversation I was having with someone about a particular subject. There is this common joke that one should be very careful when talking to an author—as one could inspire a new book! I often laugh at that, but, it’s true. When working on a new book, what’s the first thing you do? I try to envision the characters in my head. I need to get a good look at them. I have them turn from side-to-side. I need to see them with their hair down or up, for that matter. This takes a minute, sometimes, it takes hours; but once I can see the characters, I can begin the story.

"BELIEVE. DO. WRITE."

Are you an author that interacts a great deal with your readers? I try to interact with readers as much as possible via the various social media sites. I’m pretty active on Instagram (@marianlthomas09). I respond to posts on facebook and I tweet (@marianlthomas01). Book clubs reach out to me on facebook. They often request that I attend a book club discussion of one of my books or invite me to Skype with them when they aren’t local to Georgia. It’s fun and something that I welcome. My goal is to connect with over 100 book clubs this year. What’s the biggest highlight of your career? The biggest highlight of my writing career came last year when my book Blue Butterfly, a USA Today recommended read, was adapted for the theatrical stage as Blue ButterflyThe Black Ballerina. The play debuted June 2016 at the Marietta Performing Arts Center. I had a great cast and they worked hard to deliver a very memorable performance that was well-received by those that attended the play. What’s the next big thing? I’m thinking of adapting my first book, Color Me Jazzmyne, into a play. It will most likely be a musical production or some form of that. The idea is still coexisting with the other hundreds of ideas, I’d like to accomplish. Do you have any advice for the yet-tobe-published writers reading this? My motto is simple: Believe. Do. Write. Don't dwell on it. Write. Don’t doubt. Write. Don’t say...”I can’t.” Write. Writing starts with one word and ends with a period—everything in between, is a recipe of determination, inspiration, and a dash of reality.

FULL WINNERS LIST 2016 WAS A LONG, FULL YEAR. AND WHILE SOME OF THE THINGS IT WAS “FULL OF” WERE DRAINING TO SAY THE LEAST, OUR FAVORITE MUSICIANS AND CELEBRITIES DEFINITELY BRIGHTENED OUR 2016 BY ENTERTAINING US WITH NEW FAVOURITE SONGS, ALBUMS, MOVIES, VIDEOS, ENTERTAINING INSTAGRAM POSTS AND STYLE IN THE SPOT. THIS ISSUE CONTAINS THE WINNERS IN OUR VERY FIRST TMN BEST OF AWARDS. AND WE SHARE THEM WITH YOU ON TMN MAGAZINE AWARDS ISSUE TOO. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE 2016 TOPMEGANEWS AWARD WINNERS!

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